Yarn-feeding mechanism for knitting machines



July 28,1925. 1,547,590 C. C. KRlEBLE. 1 v YARN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTiNG MACHINES Filed May, 29 9 I g 2 Sheets-Shem; 1

'abtowaq Ju y 28,1925.

. 1547,55) c. c KRIEBLE;

YARN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING i IIACHINES Filed y 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. KRIEBLE, F NORRIS'IOWN, -PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WILDMAN MFG. 00., OF NORR-ISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

YARN-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed May 29, 1924. Serial No. 716,762.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. KRIEBLE,

a citizen of the United States, and a resi dent of Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarn-Feeding Mechanism for Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention concerns a multiple feed machine in which the yarns are introduced selectively in any desired order. It is shown in connection with a rib machine employing latchneedles though it is not limited to a machine of this type. I

Furthermore, the invention is shown applied to that type of machine in which the needle carriers are fixed and the needle cams rotate, but in this respect also, this 0 type ofmachine has been chosen for convenience of disclosure and not as limiting .the scope of the invention which isdefined by the appended claims In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view with parts broken away and parts omitted.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of strikers or cams on the fixed base of the machine.

Fig. 1 is a detail.

Fig. 1 is an edge of the striker cams.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the yarn feed wheel and associated elements.

Fig. 3 is a, front view of mechanism for controlling the yarn feed fingers and yarn cutter and clamp. I V n Fig. 4 1s a side view of yarn cutter and clamping means.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the shafts belonging to the yarn feed finger controlling mechanism. 7 t

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the cams for controlling the yarn fingers, being in effect a plan view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view of the yarn feed wheel and yarn fingers. This view is looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is adetail plan View of the yarn cutter and clamp and associated parts.

Fig. 9 is a view of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of arrow 0. r

Fig. 9 is a view of the yarn cutter detached.

In all the figures of the drawing the parts are shown in the position with the cutter raised and the clamp releasedto receive the yarn.

In these drawings, 1 indicates the needle cylinder, 2 the dial, 3 the cylinder cam box, and 4 the dial cams, of a rib knitting machlne, these parts being shown c0nventionally. The machine may be of the so-called dogless type, though it may be of other forms. The dogless head is indicated at 5, one of the supporting brackets being indicated broken away at 6. The yarns, of which there may be various numbers, are shown mal position, by springs 18, Fig. 3, and they are turned in the opposite direction by a cam 19 which is supported in the fixed base ring 7. The cam 19 is raised to dilferent levels by suitable pattern mechanism so as to select and operate upon either one of the arms 20 on the rock shafts 1 1, there being one of these tappet arms for each rock shaft. These arms are arranged in respect.

to each other at different levels, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and when the cam 19 is lifted into the same horizontal plane with either one of the arms 20, it will be struck by the arm, the contact taking place at the end 19 of the cam 19, while the arm with the cam box is rotating in the direction of the arrow a", it being understood that the cam 19 has no rotary movement about the axis of the knitting head. On striking the cam 19, the arm 20 will be turned against the tension of the spring 18 and the cam 13 belonging to that arm and shaft will be turned so that its edge Working against the shoulder 21 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the yarn finger, will swing this finger down into its feeding position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, where the illustration is presented in connection with the yarn finger 8.

The lowered yarn finger will be retained in this position after it leaves the cam 19 by a detent 22 whose tooth 22 passes beneath the projection 8 at the tail end of the yarn finger. This detent rotates aboutthe axis of the shaft 14 and it is under pressure of a spring 22 so that it snaps into position to lock the yarn finger down as soon as the shoulder 8 (Fig. 1) rises above its plane. The detent is arrested by a stop pin 22. 1

The onward rotary movement of the head in the arrow direction will bring the projection' 22 of the detent of the yarn finger, which has been feeding, against a cam 19* shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in Figs. 1 and 1". This cam was advanced into the path of the projection 22 of the detent, which up to now has been holding its co1n panion yarn finger down, this advance movement of cam 19 being'a'ccomplished by a cam incline 23 on the post 24% on the upper end of which the cam 19 is supported. This post is moved vertically to different levels by pattern mechanism of any known form, such for instance as that employed to lift tappet roller 19", mounted on the base. As an example of such mechanism reference is made to the patent by Vfildman and Ballard, No. 1,106,763, Aug. 11, 1914, though other forms may be used.

'The post 24, supported and guided in bracket 24 secured at 2 1* to base f, passes up through an opening in the cam 19 and as it rises its cam incline 23 forces the cam 19 inwardly towards the center of the machine, to the right in Fig. 1, so as to engage the projection 22 of any one 'of the detents 22 which may be active in holding its yarn finger in feeding position so that upon the projection 22* striking this cam 19*, the detent will be turned back to normal position against the pressure of its spring, such normal position being shown at the right of Fig. 2, and this will release the finger, which up to now'has been in feeding position. This finger will now rise to its non-feeding position and its tail projection orshoulderS, will immediately drop in front of the tooth 22 of the detent and will hold this detent retracted, as shown atthe right of Fig. 2, and this condition will persist after the rotary movement of the head has carried the group of yarn feed fingers on beyond the cams 19, 19*. The rise of this finger to its non-feeding position will be free to take place as soon as the detent is operated by the cam 19*, because the cam 19 will not be in the path of the tappet arm 20 belonging to this released yarn finger, and hence the cam 19 will not cause the cam 13 to be swung into position to keep this released finger down.

This release of the yarn feeding finger and its upward movement to non-feeding position will not take place, however, until after the Sew yarn finger has been lowered to feeding position and until after the new yarn has been taken by theneedles, this being necessary, of course, to prevent drop st tches, and it will be noticed therefore, that the cam 19 (Fig.1 is extended to reach around the machine to the point 19% a considerable distance from the point where the detent operating cam 19 is located, so that there will be ample time for the new yarn to be introduced to the needle before the old yarn is taken out of work. Reverting to the cam 19*, this is pushed inwardly towards the center of the machineagainst the tension of the spring 25 attached to the cam at oneend by pin 26 and to the screw 27 on a part of the fixed bracket 24% through which the post2t slides vertically, and on the upper surface of which the cam 19 is guided, as at 29. The yarn fingers, when released by their detents, are elevated out of work by their springs 30, there being a spring for each yarn feed finger housed in the block 31 in which the yarn fingers are pivotally mounted at 12.

All the pro ections 22 of the detents 22,

are in the same horizontal plane so thatas the detents pass the cam 19 any one ofthem which has its projection 22 extending out,

as shown on the left of Fig. 2, will be operated by contact with thecam 19 whichas above set forth, will be advanced inwardly at the same time that post 24 israisedtoi set cam 19 in the horizontalplane of rotation of the arm 20 belonging to that yarn finger which is to be lowered to feeding position. Of course it will be understood thatthe cam incline 23 sets the cam 19* inwardly as soon as the post 2 1 has raised high enough to locate the cam 19 in the path of the one of the arms 20 (Fig. 3) which isto be selected. If the post is raised to its highest'position, the inward position of the cam 19 will be maintained because the side oftlie cylindrical part of the post below the cam incline 23 will form a continuation ofthe high part lOS of the incline. As just stated, when cam19 is set in towards the centerof the machine, it will retire any of the detents 22, all of whose arms are. in the same horizontal plane. The detent of the yarn finger whichhas just been lowered will, therefore, be op erated in passing the cam 19*, but this will be anidle movement and the newly lowered yarn finger will not rise because the arm 20 still will be riding on the edge of the cam 19 and thus the cam 13 willbe maintained in the position to which it was turned with its high part against the shoulder 21 to hold the finger down. As soon as the detent of this finger passes the cam 19 it will snap again into position tohold the finger in its lowered position when the movement of the feed mechanism has carried the same past the cam 19.

The lugs of the pattern mechanism are so disposed, and are of such height relative to each other, that either one of the arms 20 (which are at different elevations, Fig. 3), will be hit by the cam 19 to get selection of the yarns in any desired order. These yarns preferably are of different colors so that color striping is produced. 7

As soon as any one of the arms 20 which hits the cam 19, travels pastthe said cam, the spring 18 returns the rock shaft belonging thereto and the cam 13 to normal position, but the corresponding yarn finger will remain down, under control of the detent 22 belongingthereto, the cam 19 dropping down and the cam 19 retracting out of the path of the projection 22 of this detent as soon as the change has been accomplished. In other words, the normal position of the cam 19 is down, and it returns to this position after each change of feed. It rises from this low position when each change is to take place and its rise may be into the rotary plane of either of the arms 20 of the rock shafts, and in rising it always adjusts the cam 19 inwardly to operate any of the detents which have been in yarn finger holding position, but this operation of the detent does not take place, as before stated, until afterthe new yarn has been introduced to the needles. The cam 19 once adjusted to its elevated position, may be adjusted to a different level for making another change, before returning to normal low position. This would be useful in making a pin stripe.

The yarn guiding ends of the fingers are located in a'series substantially radially in respect to the knitting head. Cooperating with these fingers is a toothed yarn feeding wheel 32, the teeth 33 of which incline in the direction of rotation of the wheel, indicated by the arrow y, Fig. 2. The wheel is on a shaft 3st mounted in the boss 15 of the bracket 15. This bracket is fixedvto the flange of the cam box 3' to rotate therewith and carry the toothed-wheel 32 and all the fingers and their controlling cams, shafts 1st and detents 22, around the axis of the machine as one body,'to feed theyarn to the non-rotating series ofneedles it. The teeth of the feed wheel overhang at their upper ends making a periphery of the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and7, in which the upper part inclines upwardly and outwardly. The lower part of this periphery inclines outwardly slightly from its point of junction with the overhanging teeth to the lower edge of the wheel, forming thus a channel in which the yarn will be guided. Each yarn finger has a main stem portion overlying the wheel, and a down-turnedend, as at 35, adapted, when the finger is lowered, to reach down below the upper surface of the wheel, so that the yarn extending through the eye of this lowered yarn finger will be lowered across the edge of the wheel to be taken by the pointed ends of one of the teeth thereof and be carried forward thereby in the direction of the arrow y, Fig. 2, to the elevated needles which are now about to descend and take this new yarn.

The teeth extend upwardly and outwardly from the upper edge or plane of the yarn carrying wheel, so that the yarn will be positively held and carried, despite any irregularities in its movement, and will not slip or flirt off from the teeth. These teeth have the metal cut away from between them from the upper edge or surface of the wheel downwardly, and for the urpose of providing an upper bearing edge for the yarn I employ a shell-like member a which fitsv within the conical cavity of the wheel and extends above the point where the out between the teeth terminates. This member is held by the same screw Z) which holds the toothed wheel to its shaft.

I employ a cutter 39 consisting of a blade pivotally mountedwithin the circle of teeth at 39 to the bar 41, and pressed by a spring 42 against the face or edge of the other shearing member,- which consists of the plate 38 forming a part of the bracket 15 attached to the main bracket 15., This plate fits down. within the cavity formed in the upper side of the toothed wheel and bears upon the thin sheet member a. The edge of this plate 38 which cooperates with the movable cutting knife 39 is indicated at 38. This knife when elevated stands as shown in Fig. 7, with its front end slightly above the plane of the upper surface of the plate 38 and is thus in position to receive the yarn beneath it. It will be noted that its cutting edge in clines downwardly from the free end of the knife so that it exerts a shear cut on the yarn when pressed dowi'iwardly.

The clamp 36 consists of a bar pivoted at 36 to the bracket 15 and it, like the knife, extends at substantially an angle of 45 to a radial line passing through the center of the needle cylinder and the axis of the toothed wheel, and is thus in the most favor able position for the entrance of the yarn beneath it when withdrawn from the needles.

vThe clamp bar, together with the knife,

are pressed downwardly to perform their respective functions of clamping and cutting the yarn by a bar 41 pivoted to' the bracket 15 at 41 This bar carries the cutting knife directly, as above mentioned, and it exerts pressure upon the clamp 36 through a leaf spring 36 which is attached to the clamp bar on its upper side. The operating bar 421 is pressed by a leaf spring 41 held by screws to the bracket 15. This spring acts on the tail projection 4:1 of the bar 41 and tends to lift it at its free end together with the knife, and also to relieve the clamp of pressure.

For forcing the bar 41 down to do the bya cam 13 attached to a rock shaft 145*,

like the shafts 1 1, and journalled in the bracket and having a tappet arm 20 which, when it strikes a tappet cam member 19 which is stationary and is supported from the fixed base of the machine and always inl-ine with said arm 20 will operate the rock shaft and turn the cam 13 to cause it to tip the member ifdownwardly and make the arm 43 force down the bar 41, thus forcing the knife down to cut the yarn and the clamp to hold the yarn which has just been cut and which is to remain out of work, due to the lifting of the yarn finger which controls it. The, clamping effect will be due to the bar 11 pressing on the spring 36 and forcing the clamp bar down onto the stationary plate 38 with the yarns interposed. The yarn finger organization with the toothed wheel, the cutter clamp and the operating connections just described, including the cam 13, rock shaft 141 and tappet arm 20 all travel about the axis of the knitting head ac, Figs. 1 and 2, and are thereby brought to the tappet cams 19, 19*, 19, mounted on the fixed frame.

In turning the tappet arm 20 as just de scribed, a link 14 is thrust upon, which is pivoted to a collar 14.5 adapted to turn about a fixed post 1 1 forming a part of the bracket structure.

The turning of this collar will draw upon another link 1 1 pivoted thereto and to a tappet 22 adapted to turn freely about the lower end of the rock shaft 14?. This-tappet has its arm 22 in the same horizontal plane with the arms 22 of the detents 22, and is adapted to strike the cam 19 when this is projected inwardly towards the axis of the machine when the post 24 rises and brings its cam portion 23 into action againstthe cam slide 19*. It will thus be seen that the turning of the tappet 20 and the consequent throwing down of the knife and yarn clamp when said tappet hits the stationary tap'pet cam 19 will cause the arm 22* of tappet 22 to be thr wn out to travel a path which will cause it to hit the cam 19* when this is set inward towards the center of the machine, as above described.

When this happens, i. e., when the tappet arm 22 strikes the cam 19*, the link 1'4: is drawn upon, the collar 14 is turned anti-clockwise, the link 14; is pushed upon and through tappet arm 20, rock shaft 14 is turned anti-clockwise, and the cam 13 The member 44 is borne upon in the direction of the arrow is turned to remove its high part may from pivoted member 44 whereupon-spring 41 will lift bar 41, open theshears by rais ing the blade 39, and release the clamp from pressure. These actions just describedof raising the shear bladeand releasing the clamp, will follow immediately the throwing down of a new yarn guide finger to feeding position, and the liftingof the yarn guide finger, which up to now has been down in feeding position.

These actions will-take place in oropcr sequence, the new yarn being'thrown in and the yarn which has been feeding is then thrown out, and enters the clamp and cutters. These actions take place by the raised cam 19 being struckat 19 by one of the tappets 20 to cause the corresponding cam 13 to throw down the proper yarn finger, according to the level to which the cam 19 has been lifted by the pattern mechanism. Following this deter-it 22 of the finger wl ich has been feeding will strike the cam 19 and this finger will raise. Following this tappet 22 will strike cam 19 and thecutter will open, clamp willbe relieved from pressure from the bar 41, and after the idle yarn has entered beneath the clamp and cutter blade the tapp'et arm 20 which was projected when tappet 22 struckcam 19*,

will strike the last one of the cams sn p 20 belonging to the yarn finger it is de- 7 sired to throw into work. Raising of cam 19 will set cam 19 inwardly to trip the detent which has been holding a yarn finger in feeding position. Now the arm 20 strikes the cam 19 at 19, and the new yarn finger is thrown down, next the detent of the yarn finger which has been down in feeding position is tripped by striker cam 19 to cause said finger to lift, and withdraw its yarn, and thereafter the tappet arm 22 will strike the cam 19 to open the clamp and raise the cutter to receive the yarn which has just been withdrawn, and following this the tappet arm 20 will strike the stationary cam 19 and the clamp will be closed and cutter operated to sever the idle yarn.

The cutter operates within the circle of teeth but close to the periphery of the wheel-,-

der the clamp the loose terminal end would be liable to spring under the knife, into the crotch thereof and be subsequently cut off. I

The function of the toothed Wheel is primarily to carry the yarn from the needles into the clamp and cutter. It also contributes to the organization of the yarn feed fingers in the relation illustrated in respect to the needles. 7

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine, a plurality of yarn, feed fingers with means for moving them to and from feeding position,

3 a movable cutter and clamp, a fixed plate with which the cutter and clamp cooperate, atoothed wheel for moving the yarn-when withdrawn from the needles into the cutter and clamp, said fixed plate cutter and clamp being within the circle oftee'th of the wheel, and means for positively operating the cutter and clamp to cutting and clamping position respectively, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a circular knitting machine, a plurality of yarn feed fingers, a toothed wheel, cutting and clamping means for the yarn, said wheel having its teeth inclining in the direction of rotation, overhanging the periphery of the wheel at their upper end, the body of the wheel being cut down between the teeth, providing the bearing edge for the yarn between the teeth below the upper ends thereof, said wetting and clamping means being located within the circle of teeth and having the cutting edge and clamping face below the plane of the upper ends of the teeth, substantially as described.

In combination, a plurality of yarn feed fingers with means for moving them to and from feeding position, a toothed wheel having a recess in its upper face with teeth projecting from the upper edge of the wheel, a member held in the recess presenting a bearing edge for the yarn between the teeth, yarn cutting and clamping means o -rerlying said recess and within the circle of teeth and means for operating the yarn cutting and clamping means, substantially as described.

4. In combination, yarn feed fingers, means for moving them to and from yarn feeding position, a toothed wheel, a clamping plate above said wheel and fixed stationary within the circle of teeth, a yarn clamp cooperating with said plate, a yarn cutter within the needle circle cooperating with the side edge of the said plate, and

Jecting upwardly,

means for operating the cutter and clamp, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a knitting machine, yarn feed fingers, means for moving the same towards and from feeding position, a toothed wheel, for carrying the yarn, a plate above the upper side. of the wheel, a yarn clamping member and a yarn cutter movable in relation to the said plate and said cutter cooperating with the edge of said plate, a pivoted arm to which the outter is pivoted, a spring for pressing the cutter against the edge of said plate, said pivoted arm pressing upon the clamping mem ber, and means for operating said arm, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a knitting machine, a plurality of yarn fingers with means for moving the same towards and from feeding position, a wheel having teeth prooutwardly and forwardly from the body of the wheel, to carry the yarn to and from the needles, anon-revoluble yarn clampingplate arranged within the circle of teeth and below the upper ends thereof, and a yarn clamp associated with said plate, and a yarn cutter operating below the plane of the upper ends of the teeth, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a knitting machine, yarn feed fingers for supplying yarn, a toothed wheel rotating on a vertical axis to carry the yarn to and away from the needles, a yarn clamp and a yarn cutter, means for operating the clamp and cutter comprising an arm pivotally mounted for operating the clamp and cutter, a vertical rock shaft having a cam for operating said arm, tappets connected with said rock shaft and striker cams for operating said tappets for operating the rock shaft, said toothed wheel with the clamp, cutter, and said operating means having relative movement in respect to said striker cams, substantially as described.

8. In combination with. a circular knitting machine, a plurality of yarn fingers with means for moving them to and from feeding position, comprising a vertical rock shaft for each finger, a cam and tappet thereon, yarn clamping and cutting means, a vertical rock shaft having a cam for operating the yarn cutter and clamp, tappets connected with the rock shaft, and striker cams for operating the tappets of the several vertical rock shafts as the latter travel past said cams, substantially as described.

9. In combination with a circular knitting machine, yarn feed fingers, a yarn clamp and cutter, a vertical rock shaft for each yarn finger, a cam on each rock shaft for operating the corresponding yarn finger to yarn feeding position, detents for holding the yarn fingers in feeding position, a vertlca-l rock shaft carrying a cam for operating the yarn clamp and cutter, t-appets connected with the latter rock shaft for operating it, and striker cams in relation to Which the yarn fingers and rock shafts travel, said cams operating .the rock shafts of the yarn fingers, and their detents and also thesaid tappets, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a circular knitting machine, yarn feed fingers, a yarn clamp and cutter, a vertical rock shaft for each yarn finger, a cam on each rock shaft for operating the corresponding yarn finger to yarn feeding position, detents for holding the yarn fingersin feeding position, a vertical rock shaft carrying a cam, for operating the yarn clamp and cutter, tappets connected withthe latter rock shaft for operating it, striker. cams in relation to which the yarn :feed fingers and their rock shaft travel,

there being onecam for operating said rock shafts andanother cam for releasing the detents, a striker cam for operating one of the tappets for closing the clamp and cutter, the

other tappet arm being operated to open the l clamp and cutter by the detent releasing striker cam, substantially as described.

11. In combination with a circular knitting machine, a plurality of yarn fingers,

rock shafts having arms at different elevations and having cams for operating the yarn fingers, detents for holding the yarn fingers in feeding position, a yarn clamp and cutter, a rock shaft having a cam for operating the same, tappet arms connected with the latter rockshaft, a cam 19 movable to different elevations for contacting with the arms of the rock shafts, a cam 19 which is moved to operative position when the cam 19 is raised for releasing the detents of the yarn fingers, and also for operating the tappet, which through the rock shaft opens the clamp and cutter, and a striker cam 19for operating the other tappet for closing the clamp and cutter, substantially as described.

12. In combination with a knitting machine, a plurality of yarn fingers, means for operating them, a yarncarrying wheel having peripheral teeth terminating 1n points;

extending above the body of the wheel and projecting in the direction of rotatiomsaid teeth overhanging the periphery of the wheel, the lower part of the peripheral teeth. inclining downwardly and outwardly, sub-V stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES C. KRIEBLE. 

